This week, in honor of Independence Day and the 80th anniversary of the Missouri Department of Conservation, we celebrate red, white and blue in nature.
Cardinal redbirds are seen all year, but cardinal flowers bloom a fiery red in late summer, and attract hummingbirds, butterflies and humans. These native plants are often found near water.
American white pelicans are a massive bird with a snowy white body. These ancient looking flyers will arrive again in wetlands in August. The bald eagle is our patriotic symbol. Adult males sport the familiar, white-feathered head.
Our springs provide deep blue waters with natural cooling on hot summer days. If you've never been to a natural spring, summer is a great time to visit. Blue catfish and bluegill are popular summer fish.
And showing off red, white and blue in its head and neck is the wild turkey. Fitting colors for an animal that Benjamin Franklin had proposed to be our national symbol. He thought the turkey more dignified than the scavenging eagle.
You can celebrate this year’s 4th by seeing how many things in nature you can spot that are red, white and blue. Watch the video below to get you started. And scroll through the pictures to see more.
Seeing Red
The cardinal flower, vibrant in red, is always bound to catch your eye.
- A Missouri native with exceptional landscaping potential, the cardinal flower has been named a Plant of Merit for St. Louis and other regional gardeners.
- It grows in wet places: along rivers and streams, in openings of bottomland forests, ditches, sloughs, swamps, and lakes. Also found in cultivation, where it prefers rich, humusy, medium to wet soils and partial shade.
- The red flowers of the cardinal flower are attractive to hummingbirds, which are probably the major pollinators. Butterflies visit the flowers, too.
Cardinal flowers can grow up to five feet tall, but are usually two to four feet tall. For more on the cardinal flower, visit the MDC’s Field Guide.
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